Nothing Left
by xxsugar-highxx
Summary: Undoubtedly, this was one of the worst situations to land yourself in—barely dressed and pinned against a tree by your long lost teammate who you’ve spent years trying to hunt down. Brilliant. She didn’t know whether to be more frightened or embarrassed.
1. Contradiction

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto._

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**Chapter One: Contradiction**

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This was just plain ridiculous. She had been travelling for days, finding only forest after forest. She certainly wasn't lost, that she knew of. But she was desperate, after 2 days in the forest, to at least be able to find an inn, a hot spring, or even a lake or river to refresh herself. Right now she should be in the Land of Rivers for crying out loud! _Nothing._ She saw trees, trees, and more trees.

Our favourite pink-haired medic-nin was on her way home, back to Konoha after an exhausting two-week research mission. With permission granted by the Kazekage himself, the nineteen-year-old medic-nin was allowed to visit the botanic reserve in the far western region of the Land of Wind to complete her medical research on Desert plants. Of course, she didn't head home empty handed—she had tons of newly acquired information about human nutrition and medical materials to prove it. After completing her task, she returned to Sunagakure to report to the Kazekage, thanked him, had a small get-together with Temari, gathered the supplies she needed, and made her way home.

Overall, it was a nice and easy mission. Slightly stressful because she was time pressured, but nonetheless, very rewarding. Tsunade-shishou would definitely be impressed with her findings. Now, if only she could find a water source…_ ah-ha!_ She heard the sound of water. As she followed the row of trees, the sound became more pronounced and finally, leading her to a plunge waterfall.

_Perfect! _She knew there had to _at least_ be a waterfall or river of some sort in the Land of Rivers.

Quickly checking the time, she decided that it would be minimum another day before she would reach the Gates of Konoha. Since she wasn't guaranteed to find another opportunity like this, she figured it wouldn't hurt to take a quick dip. It was too tempting. Her cautious ninja senses kicked in, forcing her to scan the surrounding area for chakra signatures before she removed her clothes, her weapon pouches, and stepped into the refreshingly cold water.

She dipped in completely, letting the water soak her naked body and long pink hair. Resurfacing after several seconds, Sakura brushed the wet locks out of her face and enjoyed the cold water for a bit longer.

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"There should be a waterfall at the other end of the forest. We'll take a quick break there." A young man said quietly to his companions.

That young man was none other than Uchiha Sasuke. The lack of progress in the destruction of Konoha had him rather ill tempered. Madara had then assigned his team, Team Hawk a special mission to distract his frustration and perhaps end the boredom. After learning the truth behind Itachi's actions, his only remaining goal was to bring the Village to its knees; and these pathetic distractions irritated him to no end.

This time Team Hawk's mission is to retrieve a collection of scrolls needed to unlock a secret jutsu. The task sounded simple—almost too simple. Of course, there was a catch. The collection had been separated, each one of the twelve being located in different areas of the lands; each scroll heavily guarded, and sealed. And to make this worthless mission even more of a hassle, he had to collect, unseal each one in order. The seal from the first will guide him to the second, the first and the second together would lead him to the third, and so on. It was clearly a time-killing game.

Leaping from branch to branch with their dark Akatsuki coats blowing behind them, the group moved closer and closer to their temporary stop.

"Sasuke-kun, I sense a chakra there." Karin, the chakra tracker of the group spoke, alarming the rest of the group.

"Do you recognize it?"

"No." She shrugged.

"Speed up." He quietly ordered. "And be on your guards."

Hawk travelled faster, obviously the logical tactic to follow. Speeding up, shortening the amount of time allowed for the owner of the chakra signature up ahead. Doing so allows them to kill said person, if necessary, faster than the blink of an eye. As they drew closer to the waterfall, hearing the loud noises of water hitting the rocks, Sasuke found the signature becoming more recognizable—almost familiar.

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_Shit, approaching nin!_ Sensing the speedy presences of 3…no, 4 others approaching her position, she jerked out of her relaxed position and swam towards her belongings. Luckily, she knew better than to move too far out. Jumping out of the cold water, she didn't have time to dry herself up. Sakura quickly pulled on her black underwear, hooked her bra secure and reached for her boots—if she were to fight, at least she had the essentials. Just as she finished tugging her boots on and grabbed her gloves, she turned around to face four ninja—four nuke-nin to be precise.

There she stood, Haruno Sakura, proud Jounin of the Leaf in her underwear facing four rogue ninja eyeing her like a piece of meat. First, she observed. From the looks on their faces, they definitely weren't planning to let her finish dressing and walk away peacefully. The four carried heavy weaponry and mostly Chuunin skill-level, perhaps one Jounin?

Regardless, the four against one situation certainly wasn't in her favour.

One of the men walked towards her. She eyed his face, which sported a deep scar running from his chin along his cheek and thinning out at his forehead. "Aniki, look. We found a pretty catch. Looks like she's been waiting for us." He in turn, checked out her barely covered body.

"Yeah," the addressed man replied, licking his lips.

Sakura's eyes narrowed sharply. She looked disgusted. If she ran, she probably would end up leaving the remainder of her clothes and her two-weeks-worth of hard work behind. She'd also be risking the chances of the men catching her. She looked down at the dry rocky ground below her, and then the men in front of her. _Maybe her situation wasn't so bad after all_.

"I'm the oldest one, you two should respect your elders. I get a piece of her pretty ass first." A man in a short ponytail argued while pushing the scar-faced man.

"Oldest, yet with the least talents in bed." The one with an eye-patch snickered.

**_CRACK_**

As the remaining 3 men were deciding the order of how they would "take turns" with her after their leader, Sakura took two leaps back and landed her chakra charged fist into the solid ground. Thankfully, the ground was nice and dry, resulting in considerable impact.

Jumping up, she launched her foot into the chest of the distracted leader, who was busy tugging his huge sword out between the cracks. Landing her attack swiftly and sending the man through several trees, she grabbed the end of the large sword that reminded her of Kisame's, and swung herself two-hundred-and-seventy-degrees, kicking the scarred man in the chin and into the rocks by the spilling water.

Sakura landed gracefully, observing her satisfying handiwork. Taking one last glance at the four pathetic excuses for men, she strolled towards her belongings, only to detect more chakra presences. _Damn._ Why hadn't she noticed before? The new incoming presences felt much stronger. Four again. Better yet, they moved faster than the previous group that was lying in the area with severe injuries.

_You have got to be kidding._

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"I sense more chakra signatures up there. Five now." Karin spoke again.

"Hn." Sasuke replied indifferently, landing and pushing himself forward again.

Several rumbling sounds were heard through the forest. Hawk halted their pace as they looked in the direction they were heading—also where the sounds were being produced. The Uchiha leapt from the branch he was standing on, bringing himself to higher altitude above all the trees for a better view of the situation. He scanned the area in front of them seeing several trees falling forward towards the direction of their next stop. Before the trees fully fell, another crashing sound was heard.

"Sounds like a fight." Suigetsu pointed out lazily, waiting for Sasuke to join them again. Almost instantly, said man landed on the same branch he had stood on earlier.

"Keep going. Stay on your guards."

Something was familiar about that chakra. Sasuke made a mental run-through of the opponents he fought, most of which he had killed. Clearly this one was one of the luckier ones he didn't bother killing. But….who?

They were almost out of the forest and the water came into vision. Then he saw a flash of pink.

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The other group was closing in. With seconds left, Sakura quickly snatched her red fighting kimono and pulled it on her in a swift movement. _Shit. They would be here before…_

**_BAM!_**

Sakura lifted her head up to search her surroundings. She was pinned against a tree and now looking into a pair of dangerous red eyes. "Sasuke…" she breathed, stunned. _Damn he was fast._ Four years ago when they tried to retrieve him from Orochimaru's grasps he was fast. Now he was simply terrifying.

Undoubtedly, this was one of the worst situations to land yourself in—barely dressed and pinned against a tree by your long lost teammate who you've spent years trying to hunt down. _Brilliant_. She didn't know whether to be more frightened or embarrassed—fear of him killing her, or fear of him refusing to go home with her; embarrassed because she was in her underwear, or embarrassed because _he_ found _her_ when _she_ was _supposed to_ be on the hunt for _him_.

Sasuke's body pressed against hers, crushing her tiny frame while his eyes surveyed every visible detail on her: her now waist-length pink hair, her innocent sparkling green eyes, her red short kimono decorated with cherry blossom petals as it reached the hem, as well as everything revealed underneath it. His gaze followed her black lacy bra, matching underwear, her curvy legs and finished at her knee-high boots. _She's changed._ Every part of her is different now—from the girlish 12-year-old to a _very_ tempting woman. She felt his face lower, until his lips were touching her ear. "What a surprise." He whispered, his hot breath tingling against her skin, his scent invading her senses.

Several soft thuds were heard behind him indicating the rest of his team had caught up with him.

"Whoa, Sasuke. Who's the girl?" Suigetsu asked curiously. Surprised, for that matter. Never, in the four years of teaming with Sasuke, has he seen the man in such close contact with a female voluntarily. _Karin never successfully made it that far._ The thought brought a small tug on his lips. However, the girl looked familiar…as if he'd seen her somewhere.

Ignoring his loud companion, Sasuke glared down at the short girl in front of him.

Sakura on the other hand, after forcing herself to swallow all the emotions upon seeing the man—fear, anger, joy, embarrassment, frustration—she returned his glare. "Uchiha." She growled out, fighting against his strong grip on her.

"What are you doing here, Sakura?"

She looked away from him. How could he talk to her in such a calm manner when he was so close to her? Their noses less than a centimetre away, their bodies pressed up against each other, and…

"Answer me." He said calmly again, a smirk growing on his handsome features. Sakura knew that her reactions were rather immature. She refused to answer or look at him. Yet, her pulse was unquestionably increasing.

"You are in no position to interrogate me or involve yourself in my affairs, Uchiha." She still refused to look at him. What was with 'Uchiha'? He almost found it _offensive_ for her to address him that way.

The show just got better and better. Suigetsu stood several feet away from the pair, getting a perfect view of their closeness. Clearly the two were previously acquainted. Now, where had he seen that girl before?

"Actually, quite the contrary." He chuckled lightly, amused. "I'm not the one immobilized."

While the pair continued in their little world, Suigetsu moved towards Juugo and Karin. "Hey, have you guys seen this girl before?"

"Maybe in a bingo book?" Juugo shrugged.

Pulling it out, Suigetsu began to flip to the Leaf Ninja section. _Uzumaki Naruto, Jichuriki of the Kyuubi. **Next. **Tsunade, Godaime Hokage. **Next.** Hatake Kakashi, Copy Ninja. **Ne—**_

A rattling sound came from the forest they emerged from moments ago. A figure walked out arrogantly facing the group. Sakura's eyes widened as she realized that the 'leader' of the previous group managed to recover from her attack. Sure, she did hold back. But his recovery speed was shocking.

"Hey, back off amateur. She's _my_ catch."

_Alright, maybe shockingly stupid as well._

Sasuke paid no heed to the clueless man and pushed his body tighter against hers, fully covering her near naked body from his hungry eyes. Him, on the other hand, angered by the Uchiha who ignored him and brushed his threats off so easily, jumped towards his large sword, grabbed it, and launched himself towards his target. Pushing the Uchiha away from his 'catch' was almost too easy—too easy to be true. As soon as he pushed the raven-haired boy away from her, he grabbed her wrist ready to leave.

Unfortunately, the best things in life didn't come that easy—or that painless for that matter. Before he could fully turn his body towards the direction headed, several radiating and chirping senbon shot through his body causing him to go limp and eventually fall to the ground. Four pairs of eyes turned to look at the Uchiha who looked relaxed and seemed hardly affected by the instant death that had just occurred. Almost as if he hadn't launched chidori-current senbons at the now dead man.

"Shit! He's pissed." Suigetsu muttered, knowing how the man had a nasty temper. _Definitely do NOT mess with a pissed Uchiha._

"Hn, pathetic." Turning back to the terrified rosette only a couple feet away from him, he got a better, unblocked view of how much she had changed. Conscious of his gaze and their small audience, Sakura quickly pulled her short kimono closer together, looking down on the cracked earth under her feet.

"Now, tell me," he walked back to her, moving his index finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Are you on a mission? How did you get involved that him?" his gaze quickly shifting to his most recent kill, and then back at her.

"Let go of me, Uchiha." The girl growled lowly, "It's none of your business." She spat, unaware that her uncooperative behaviour was quite entertaining for him.

Moving closer, and smoothly backing her into the tree again, he whispered teasingly into her ear. "Must you be so disobedient, Sakura-_chan?_"

Karin was evidently furious by the close contact Sasuke was willingly performing and by the amount of affectionate attention this _complete stranger_ was receiving from her adored teammate. She held back a high-pitched shriek of frustration and forced herself not to run up to the two and forcefully pull her beloved Sasuke away. Anger and jealousy was building up within her. Sasuke, after four years of inviting her to team with him, had **_never_** treated her in such a manner. After four years of teaming with him, she had **_never_** seen him kill another over a woman. **_Never_**, in her four years of teaming with him, has she seen him hold a woman—anyone for that matter—in his arms. Yet here she stood only feet away from the object of her affections, seeing him holding another woman in his pair of strong arms that she longed to be in.

"Did you find her in the bingo book?" Juugo curiously.

"Ohh yeah! I forgot. I didn't get to finish."

"We've wasted enough time here." Karin hissed, her rage caused by the display in front of them never fading.

"I don't mind. I get a longer break." Suigetsu replied happily, flipping to the Leaf Ninja section of his bingo book again.

"Lazy ass." The angry female muttered under her breath.

_Uzumaki Naruto, Jichuriki of the Kyuubi. **Next.**_

_Tsunade, Godaime Hokage. **Next.**_

_Hatake Kakashi, Copy Ninja. **Next.**_

_Sai, ANBU: Root Division. **Next.**_

_Yamato: ANBU Captain. **Next.**_

_Haruno Sakura: ANBU; Medical Ninja, apprentice of the Godaime Hokage._

An unofficial staring contest could only last so long.

"You've changed." Sasuke whispered quietly. "As expected."

Truthfully, not expected at all. He never imagined the twelve-year-old girl whose world once revolved around him would grow to be so unaffected by his presence. It almost _annoyed him_.

"Again, none of your business."

_Slightly_ annoyed with the lack of response, he took her by the elbow and pulled her away from her current position and turned around facing the rest of his long ignored team. Her arms still tightly wrapped around her body keeping her kimono closed. Wrapping a hand around her waist, Sasuke drew her closer to him until her back was pressing against his chest.

"No matter. I'm sure you have a mission scroll of some sort in your bag." His response was louder, enough for the rest of Hawk to hear.

Seeing Suigetsu fascinated with something in the bingo book, he chose Juugo for the task. "Juugo, check her bag for mission scrolls." Sakura could feel the smirk on his gorgeous face spread.

The tall warrior walked towards her things.

"FOUND HER!" Suigetsu yelled. There, above the description, was a photo of a girl with pink hair and green eyes. "Haruno Sakura, Medical Ninja." He read out loud. "Apprentice of the Godaime Hokage."

Juugo was merely steps away from her bag. With Sasuke holding her back, she was partially disabled from making any attacks. Except maybe…

"Skills: various types of advanced healing techniques, advanced taijutsu combat, super-human strength…wait, what does that mea—"

_There!_ Close enough. Just as Juugo was close enough to lead down from his towering height to grab her bag, she raised her heel high in the air, and landed it with thundering crashing noises following a wide crack that ran towards the tall man.

Suigetsu's eyes widened and jaw dropped in a comical manner as he watched the heel of her foot break the earth. "Ahh, point taken." He said weakly.

Seconds later, he began to react to what he had just witnessed. "Whoa, she's the biggest living contradiction I've seen! First, she's a Medic Nin, who saves countless lives but she's also ANBU who runs around assassinating people in alphabetical order from the bingo book! And then for a tiny, short person, she punches craters into the ground!" Taking a deep breath, "Did I miss anything?"

"Explains what happened to the ground before we got here." Juugo replied.

Silently agreeing with Suigetsu, Sasuke looked down at the tiny girl in his arms both impressed and amused. At his skill level, he was rarely, if at all, amused or impressed. She had unknowingly accomplished both.

And then, faster than they all could react, he knocked her out. Just as he had done seven years ago the night he had left Konoha. However, this time, he took off his Akatsuki cloak, wrapped it around her petite frame and picked her up carefully. He rested her head lightly against his left shoulder and hooked her knees over his right arm, gracefully holding her bridal style.

"Grab her bags. We're leaving."

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End of Chapter One

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Author's Note: **PLEASE ALWAYS READ THESE NOTES! THEY MAY INVOLVE UPDATE NOTICES.**

Firstly, I would like to thank you for reading the first chapter. I understand that the first chapter, because it's only setting things up, may seem a bit boring. But I guarantee that the next chapter will be more exciting. (Warning, the next chapter involves lemons. One so far.) The second chapter is about 30% done. Since I am on my break, I'm hoping to update in the next week or two.

Second, I would like to remind you to review, for feedback that I could improve on. It will make my day and provide you with a better final product the next time.

Third, I have not given up on my other story. I didn't manage to update the minimum 3 chapters as promised because my hard drive crashed. I haven't come around to retyping the chapters because as I started, I felt that my initial products were more satisfying than the 'remakes'. As a result, I have halted the processing of that story for almost 2 years!! Depending on how this story turns out, I might continue that one if readers are interested. Don't worry, I've backed up the files for this one, so the same problem won't occur.

And finally, I am considering the help of a beta reader. If you have decent English proficiency and are interested with helping me out a bit, leave a signed review. If there are several volunteers, I may only pick one to help me with this project. Once I have decided on who to work with, I will contact the person and start feeding them my rough drafts. =D

Again, thanks for your time! Hope you enjoyed it.


	2. Self Control

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto._

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**.:. Last Chapter .:.**

And then, faster than they all could react, he knocked her out, just as he had done seven years ago the night he had left Konoha. However, this time, he took off his Akatsuki cloak, wrapped it around her petite frame and picked her up carefully. He rested her head lightly against his left shoulder and hooked her knees over his right arm, gracefully holding her bridal style.

"Grab her bags. We're leaving."

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**Chapter Two: Self-Control**

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"Why do we have to carry another burden?" Karin demanded to no one in particular, outraged, while following Sasuke's lead through yet another forest. Her high-pitched shriek caused Suigetsu to twitch in annoyance. "Sasuke-kun, I've been telling you for years that the best and strongest team would be a team of just the two of us." Landing closer to Sasuke, she continued, "Not a team with a lazy ass who's too weak to hold his own sword properly and a useless fighter who can't even control himself."

"Shut up, bitch." Suigetsu shot at her. She, for one, should know better than to insult and potentially enrage the seemingly gentle man.

Jugo, on the other hand, seemed to be rather indifferent towards the redhead's nasty comments.

"Besides," her stubborn and persistent nature surfacedsurfacing while her urge to be rid of the rosette spilled out along with a hint of jealousy. "She's in the bingo book!"

"So? What does it matter to you?" The aqua-haired man was laughing inwardly at her irrational tantrum. "It's not like you were assigned to kill her off or something." He said casually, in a joking manner.

"That's exactly what we should be doing!" She howled in return with a nasty expression on, as if she had just tasted something bad. "She's in the bingo book. When encountered, we should kill her. But no! We end up bringing her along with us. I'd be happy to do the dirty work of none of you are. She _should_ be killed."

_That_ comment wasn't taken well by the sole Uchiha survivor. In speed that put the Yellow Flash to shame, he was in front of her, trapping her. _She_ was between him and the tree, and suddenly his grip was on her neck, and her with pieces of her uneven red hair tangled in his fingers from the caught through the rough movement. The two were barely an arm's distance away. The pink-haired girl was held securely in his left arm, her head resting against his shoulder. Slowly, his clutch around the red-head's her throat grew stronger as he began to lift her up in the air, holding her two feet above the ground.

Fiery blood-red eyes flashed angrily as he growled. "Don't you dare."

The obnoxious redhead had now realized that she had gotten herself into deep trouble. As she desperately struggled against his death grip on her while hopelessly choking for air, her eyes showed fear. Not once, for as long as she'd known him, she never found him to be the aggressor. She then found herself slightly above eye-level with the dark-haired man and looked, looking down at his sinisterly handsome features, and eventually into his crimson orbs. _If he keeps this up…I could die_.

"If you do as much as hurt her, I don't care for _any_ reason, _**I will kill you**__._" Sasuke then dropped Karin's limp body to the ground, and the fallen leaves flew up from the weak gush of wind and landed all over her, as if mocking her misery and humiliation. The redhead wrapped her own fingers around her neck and coughed violently while taking in sharp gasps of the much-needed oxygen. Her body was fatigued and her trachea felt strained. _This is what it feels like to look into the __face__ of death._

Letting her recover a bit, Sasuke returned Sakura into the protective position he held her in moments ago. "Do I make myself clear?" He asked darkly, his Sharingan never faltering as he glared menacingly down at her.

Karin nodded lightly in response; still busy trying to catch her breath.

Suigetsu and Jugo were taken by surprise at the display. Suigetsu looked at the girl who was on her knees and supporting herself with her hands. He'd always found the stupid girl annoying, but she just never pushed the right buttons to make him want to kill her. Apparently, she managed to do that to Sasuke. He hardly felt bad for her. More than anything, he was interested —with that _bizarre_ girl. Who was she? She was obviously something special… Someone who had managed to bring Sasuke's temper to a whole new level, even while she's unconscious. What was it about her that fascinated Sasuke, or had the power to make him threaten to kill Karin?

"Let's go." The Uchiha announced, taking the lead again with Suigetsu not far behind.

Karin hadn't gotten up from the ground, and she looked as the Uchiha and their shark-toothed companion went on without her. Thinking that she had been left alone in the forest, she was jumped when Jugo grabbed her elbow. "Karin, we're leaving."

With enough effort and some help from the taller man, Karin managed to pull herself to her feet and followed the two shinobi who left the area earlier. With her chakra-tracking specialty, the two were easy enough to find.

While travelingtravelling, Karin was distracted. Very distracted. Her gaze flickered back and forth between the pair up front and Jugo, who had unexpectedly offered his help. Thinking back, she had insulted him mere minutes before she was in a powerless state. She _almost_ felt guilty for doing so, but she couldn't bring herself to apologize to him. Her pride wouldn't allow it, and it was how she truthfully felt. Deciding to move her focus on more important issues, such as getting rid of the pink-haired woman, she pushed the thought of thanking Jugo behind her mind.

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At the best ramen place in town, Ichiraku, Team 7 enjoyed a meal of ramen after a fierce training session. Yamato, Kakashi, Sai, Naruto, and a stack of empty ramen bowls sat in a neat row. Naruto was slurping the noodles at an inhuman pace while talking to Sai animatedly. Yamato was in a conversation with Kakashi while Kakashi was having a get-together with his beloved novel. Typical.

"So," the blonde boy began as he swallowed another mouthful of noodles from the seventh bowl in front of him. "I heard from Tsunade-baachan that Sakura-chan should be back tomorrow."

"Ugly's back? From where?" the artist looked up from his own bowl, awaiting a response from the blonde who was taking in another mouthful of noodles.

"From Suna." He said between chews. "She's supposed to be back before sunset tomorrow."

The fox boy hadn't seen his best friend around for an entire month! He was out on a retrieval mission when she was assigned to go to Suna. After his return from the mission, he'd pop in and out of the hospital for various reasons: Sai and him beating each other up during training, minor injuries from missions, and so on. She hadn't been there to treat him even once on any of those occasions, which was pretty much daily. Now, he was excited to see her again.

"Do you know who's going to be on guard duty tomorrow at the main gates?" Naruto asked no one in particular.

"Akai-kun, the new chuunin. And…I believe it's with Shotaro-san who's supervising." Shizune's gentle voice came from behind them.

Turning around, they saw the owner of the answer to Naruto's question, along with Jiraiya, and the Hokage herself

"Why do you want to know?" She asked.

"Well," Naruto replied happily as Teuchi delivered his next bowl. "Sakura-chan is coming back tomorrow, so I want to see her as soon as she's back!"

Tsunade stared in awe as she watched the blonde boy practically _inhale_the contents of the large bowl. It amazed her as a medic at how the boy could eat so much and not weigh three hundred pounds. However, one thing she couldn't help but agree with the boy. She looked forward to seeing her prized pupil again and couldn't wait to spend the next night chatting over some nice, warm sake. The Godaime smiled at the thought.

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"We need four rooms." Sasuke said to the pot-bellied woman at the counter of the small inn they came across.

"Alright," without looking up, she put down her nail file and flipped open the notebook on the desk to check the lodging records and finally asked, "Would you prefer to have them all on the same floor?"

"Yes," Jugo replied politely.

"For how many nights?"

All heads turned towards their leader. _He_ had most of the details regarding the mission, and _he_ makes the decisions for the team.

Sasuke quickly ran the possibilities through his head. They were now at the northwestern border of the Land of Rivers, nearing Amegakure (The Hidden Rain Village). The problem with the retrieval of the scrolls was that no one had a precise location of where the first one might be. Several rumours led to the Rain country, and so, there they were. However, everything they knew so far was all based on folk tales and old legends surrounding the topic. They currently had no solid, proved information that suggested that the first scroll was here. Nevertheless, Amegakure had plenty of temples, many of which were abandoned and supposedly overspread with traps and seals that activated said traps. _Day One: referencing locals._ Interrogating, questioning, whichever you like to call it. _The second day we find the nearest few._

"Three, with possibility of extension." He announced.

The woman of ample portions looked at the handsome man like she wanted to take him home. _Ha, if only __my__ husband looked like that._ Stifling a laugh, she opened a drawer and began searching through it until she found what she was looking for. Four keys, each latched on to thick plastic boards, which had the room numbers labeled with black number stickers. "Here you go, dearie." She said while cheerily offering them to the gorgeous man, "Rooms 313, 315, 317 and 319. If you need anything, do let me know."

Noticing Sasuke had his arms full with a certain kunoichi; Jugo took the keys from the woman and muttered a polite 'thank you'. The woman kept her eyes on the dark-haired man until he disappeared up the stairs. _So dreamy!_ She laughed lightly. _Now, now, he's young enough to be your son!_ She told herself.

Meanwhile, walking up the stairs, the four discussed sleeping arrangements.

"So," Suigetsu started, trying to get the disturbing image of the blushing inn owner out of his mind. It was entertaining, seeing women in their mid-forties flirting with their leader. "Who takes which room?"

"Hn." _I guess that means 'I don't care.' _

"I'll take 313." The shark-man said casually while taking the key labeled '313' from the small collection in Jugo's hand. He couldn't wait to put down his heavy sword and get a good night's sleep.

As for the remainder of the team, each person took a key. After reading the number attached to it, Karin walked to Room 319, Sasuke to 317, and Jugo stopped in front of 315. Team Hawk stood at their doors for a second. "We will meet in Jugo's room in half an hour." Sasuke said shortly before stepping into the room he was to share with Sakura.

Gently, he placed Sakura on the double-sized bed and sat at the edge in deep thought. He looked at the girl—no, woman. She had the body and elegance to prove it. She lay there wrapped up in his Akatsuki cloak. Why she was away from Konoha and found there by them was still a mystery. He moved to discard the dark fabric from her body, took off his sweaty black shirt and hung them over a chair, where he noticed her bag that had been placed there by Jugo. Pulling the zipper open, he took out several scrolls, some of which, were sealed with genjutsu. His attention was drawn away from them when he heard her shift a little. _Finally awake, I see._ He watched her beautiful green eyes flutter a bit and then she moved her hand to block the light out of her eyes. After she had adjusted to the brightness of the room, she sat up slowly with the support of her palms against the mattress, to face the man who was staring at her intensely.

"You're awake." The Uchiha leaned closer, with a smug look on his face, as if he'd won some sort of battle.

"_You!_"

"Yes, me." He replied dryly. The raven-haired man leaned back, pulling a bingo book out of his pocket. Flipping to a dog-eared page, he spoke in his deep husky voice, "Haruno Sakura. ANBU Medical Division Head, proud student of the Fifth. 2 years of service in ANBU. 18 S-ranked missions, 9 of which were solo. And 79 A-ranked. Impressive." He threw the book over his shoulder while tilting back towards her. "Frankly, I was surprised to see you make it so far. Even into Akatsuki's bingo book, Sakura-_chan_."

The pink-haired woman refused to move back at his advancement. Instead, she put a hand in front of his chest to push him away. _Uchiha's__ don't take rejection; they always get what they want_! At that thought, Sasuke grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her into his firm chest.

"I suppose now you'll torture me for Konoha's secrets and then kill me?" She asked in a casual, yet cold tone. Almost as casually as asking a friend what was for dinner.

"_Ohh?_" A light chuckle left his lips. He wrapped an arm around her, bringing her dangerously close. "What makes you think that?" Her wrist was freed and now he was twirling a lock of her long pink hair between his fingers. "Why not keep you as a medic?" The man paused. "Or perhaps, make you mine."

"I'm flattered Uchiha-_san_; unfortunately, I belong to no one." A sly smirk played on her lips as she carried on, "I'm sure that redhead would love to have this much attention."

"You were awake," he accused, knowing perfectly well who she was speaking of and which incident she implied.

"I was." She replied daringly. Sakura tried to break free from his grasp. Sadly, luck wasn't on her side as her efforts only resulted in him pressing her harder against his bare upper body.

_**Ohh mama! He's hot!**_ Inner Sakura had picked the perfect time to participate in their little interaction.

_Haven't heard from you in a while, Inner. _

_**Yeah, I know. But I could recognize this hunk a mile away. So I'm back! **_She declared in high spirits, with party balloons and colourful streamers in the background.

_Well, you should know that this bastard is about to kill the both of us!_

_**True, but he's a hot bastard. Check out those abs!!! I wonder how he'd look with no clothes on at all….hmmm.**_

_We'd be dead by then, pervert. Now stop sending me __**your **__disturbing images and help me think of how to get out of here!_

_**Come on girl, I was just hoping he'd loose the pants before killing us. I'd die smiling! I've always wondered how THE drop-dead gorgeous Uchiha Sasuke would look naked.**_

_Pervert. _

_**Sweetie, if I were you, I'd jump on him this instant and rip his pants off. I wonder if he prefers boxers or briefs? **_

_Ohh dear. Stop it! So I can at least TRY to concentrate on getting us out of here._

_**Ohh, ohh!! Better yet, neither!! **_At the thought, Inner was animatedly blinking hearts from her eyes and drowning in a pool of nose blood.

To Sasuke, some things never changed. In this case, it was how painfully readable Sakura was. He could tell that she was having an inner debate. It was entertaining to watch.

"Why not think that I would find you to ask you to take me home?" The man interrupted her inward argument by naming the most impossible situation that could possibly happen at this stage with the thought of humouring himself with the girl's presence. Even if he did go 'home', he'd go back to kill the true slaughterers of the Uchiha Clan—the Village Elders.

"I'm not twelve Uchiha, nor am I stupid." She glowered at the man who was pressing himself against her body. Anger, frustration, and irritation didn't even begin to describe how she felt right now. Earlier that day, she was attacked. Twice, for that matter. Then knocked out and kidnapped by_ this_ jerk. If there _was_ a God, he must really hate her.

"Even if you did go back, with or without me, it would only be to complete your revenge." The kunoichi fearlessly spoke again, "To kill the Village Elders, right?"

"Hn. How do you know about that?"

"Where I get my information is none of your concern, Uchiha." Fed up and definitely in a bad mood for not only being kidnapped but also questioned by a missing-nin of all people, she struggled against his hold on her shoving to get free. "Now. Let," both hands were now against his muscled chest. "Me," the tiny girl pushed with as much force necessary. "Go!" The tall man was jolted onto his feet and a few steps back from her.

With incredible speed, Sakura leapt off the bed and got into a defensive stance ready to fight him off. Again, he was amused and impressed with her. He straightened up, but stayed where he was. "That wasn't nice, Sakura-chan.", he teased. His gaze ran along her barely covered body, memorizing every detail. He liked how her hair was long again, like petals that ran down her back, along with her enchanting green eyes, her sexy red lips, that lacy black bra (which he found too sexual for a ninja), and her luscious body. "Actually," Sasuke began to walk towards her, ignoring any possibilities of the kunoichi attacking him. _Not that she would get her way._

Faster than Sakura could react, the missing-nin had her pinned against the wall and held her hands above her head with his left hand. He towered above her, now proudly standing an entire foot taller than her. "I should kill you for knowing more than you should."

The woman refused to be frightened by him and looked up, meeting his sinister red orbs. "You should have killed me on sight. I am, as you said, in the bingo book."

"Hn." _Surprised again._ The smirk on his features widened. "What makes you think I wouldn't?"

Leaning down, he nuzzled against the crook between her neck and shoulder, his lips brushing against her collarbone.

"I didn't." She admitted truthfully. The poor girl was struggling with producing a calm and unflustered reply. "I assumed you would."

"True," he whispered, recalling her first few words to him when she woke up: _"I suppose now you'll torture me for Konoha's secrets and then kill me?"_

"You smell nice." He murmured, sending shivers up and down her spine.

"I'm actually rather surprised you haven't."

"Haven't what?" He stopped, his lips still touching her neck. "Tortured you? Or killed you?"

"Both actually. Torture me, then kill me." Sakura's breathing was getting uneven. And _he_ had no idea how hard it was for _her_ to stay calm and unaffected at such a sexual encounter. For starters, this experience was completely new to her. She had spent years searching for him. _This_ was at the very bottom of the 'Possible Scenarios' list. The possibility of this chain of events occurring was **negative** one-hundred-percent.

"Hn." Grunting in response, Sasuke continued to land soft, gentle kisses along her neck and jaw-line as his free hand rubbed small circles on her toned stomach.

"You should know," he breathed, "there are several ways to torture a person."

"And you're telling me—_ah!_" her body jerked in response as a nipped a rather sensitive spot along her neckline. "That a sadist like yourself wouldn't prefer the traditional way?" The man was almost pleased with himself for partially shattering her unflinching attitude. He chose to not respond to her comment.

When he eventually felt butterfly kisses were overused, he moved his hand to support her neck and crashed his lips down on her pretty pink ones. He pulled her up towards him, shortening the difference in height and forcing her on her tiptoes. Sakura's eyes widened at this as she stared at her kidnapper's face. _His_ eyes were closed. His teeth scraped against her lower lip and then sucked on it hungrily.

_**Honey, it's rude to stare.**_Inner Sakura piped in, after recovering from her hyperventilation.

Sakura was too lost in the unexpected contact to rationally process any words at all through her brain.

Sasuke licked her lower lip awaiting entrance, but was granted none. Frustrated with that, he pulled away, looking intensely at her flushed features. Inhaling sharply, Sakura welcomed the cold air in the room after the heated kiss he had placed on her. She was still against the wall, her arms against his chest and the base of her skull in his hand.

"You _will_ kiss me back, Sakura." The Uchiha let out a low growl. His angry, threatening tone frightened her. After his warning, he captured her lips again. This time, he chewed on her lower lip and pried open her mouth, tasting her.

Sasuke could feel his pants growing a bit too tight for comfort. Their bodies were pressing against one another and their constant movement caused hers to unintentionally brush against him, making him ache. His hands roamed her body, outlining her curves with his long fingers.

_No, this isn't happening. I can't let him—_

"Mmmh…" She bit harder on her lower lip, trying to stifle another moan that was slipping through her pouty red lips.

"Hn," He smirked at the responses he was receiving, which only encouraged him. His hand reached under her bra to cup her bosom before roughly pulling the lacy material aside. He left a trail of soft kisses along her neckline until he eventually made it towards her uncovered breast and took it in his mouth.

"Ahh…" Sasuke swirled his tongue around her erect nipple, causing her to gasp. She had her eyes shut tightly to stop herself from looking at his every move.

_No, no, no, no, no. I can't be enjoying this. Make it stop. Make it stop. Make it stop!! Make it—_

_-KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK-_

"Sasuke, you're late." A loud knock came from the door followed by Karin's shrieking voice.

The sudden interruption made him stop. The Uchiha growled in vexation. _Damn it! Talk about timing._

"I'll be there in a moment." Sasuke coldly answered as calmly as possible while glancing at the clock. _Five minutes late._

He turned back at the crumbling woman in his arms. "If you don't want me ripping your clothes off and staking my claim, I advise you to _not_ tempt me." Sasuke grabbed her chin forcing her to look up at him as he held her for one last kiss before withdrawing.

"I'll be next door." He warned her, as he put on his shirt and walked towards the door. "I suggest you don't try to run away. Karin is a chakra-tracker." That said, he closed the door and left her alone in the empty room.

_**I'd never run away from you!**_ Inner Sakura cooed starry-eyed.

_Shut it, Inner. We need to get out of here._

_**As if you could out run him. Or are you thinking of fighting him? **_

_I…_

_**Sweetie, you need to calm down first.**_

_You're only saying that because you're hoping to stay around until he gets naked. Pervert._

_**I mean it, Sakura.**_ Okay, she's serious now. Inner never calls her 'Sakura' unless it's serious or life threatening. _**You're tired and barely slept for the past few days. Even if you were to fight him, your chakra wouldn't hold for long. Be reasonable here.**_

_All right, fine. _

_**Go take a hot shower. We both need it, along with the rest. Now hurry up!! Go, before he comes back and decides to keep you company.**_

_No! What?!_

_**I don't mind showering with him. Hell, I'd love it! But if you don't want that happening, I suggest you go now! And make it speedy!**_

_Alright, alright. You win._Sakura scowled. Quickly glancing at the clock hung on the opposite side of the room, she walked quietly into the attached bathroom, hoping not to alert a certain Uchiha in the next room. Sakura eyeballed the facilities in the small bathroom. There was a bathtub, with plain white shower curtains and a showerhead. On the rack above the toilet sat two neatly folded white shower towels.

_Might as well make it fast._ The woman pulled off her boots and began disrobing. She left her clothes in a pile on the tiled floor and stepped into the bathtub turning the water to a comfortingly steaming temperature. The hot warm water ran down her pale backside, soothing her aching muscles. Sakura squeezed shampoo on her hand and lathered it evenly into her wet pink locks.

_**So…. Have you considered sleeping arrangements for tonight?**_

_Of course! I will sleep on the bed, and he can take the floor! Or…I can take the bed and he can share with the redhead!_

_**Ha! Fat chance. And you were supposed to be the practical one. Funny. You **_**obviously**_** daydream more than I do now!**_

_Hardly, Inner. _Sakura tilted over to reach the soap holder tile on the wall, forming soapsuds. _I recall your fantasies of showering with him? Point proven!_

_**Nuh-uh! **_A childish comeback came from her conscience. _**At least what I say is much more likely to happen! I mean, 4 years has done him well.**_

_Yeah, his vocabulary improved. _

_**Ha! True. It used to only be 'Hn'. I mean, hello! It has multiple meanings by now!**_

_It could me, 'You're annoying'._

_**Or 'I'm hungry too'.**_

_Or 'Dobe'. _Sakura imitated the 12-year-old Sasuke addressing Naruto.

The two laughed at the thought.

_**No, wait. What I meant was, he's sooo hot now! I so want to prance on him and rip his—**_

_No! No more. I don't even want to think about it! Not another word out of you, you perverted…ugh!!_

The woman turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Quickly wrapping a towel around her body, she walked out of the bathroom. _You're kidding. These shower towels were _obviously_ meant for men! _The towel wrapped two and a half loops around her petite frame, but barely covered her buttocks. _This is stupid! _Needless to say, the towel manufacturers and suppliers for this lodge thought it would be necessary to make towels that fit beer-bellied men with 100-inch waists but not women who were five-foot-three. _This inn is sexist! _

_**Maybe its main customers are men? FAT men!**_

_Again, that sounds stupid. _Pulling out a hairbrush from her bag, the rosette ran it through her waist-length hair, droplets staining the cream-coloured carpet of the room. After grooming her tresses, she bent down to return the brush back into her bag. Buttoning the front pocket, she unzipped the larger compartment.

_- Click -_

"Shit! No! Not now." Sakura mumbled under her breath and hastily grabbed her large t-shirt. However, before she could readjust herself and stand straight from her rather exposing position, Sasuke was already behind her. By now, he had his hand around her waist and pulled her up against his chest. _No! Not this again._

"I thought," Her throat ran dry at the sound of his voice, his chest slightly pulsating with the projection of sound. Sakura felt his hand run along her thigh, moving up. His touch was warm for such a cold-hearted person. The hand was now playing at the hem of the tiny cloth covering her delectable body from his view. With a barely noticeable tug, the fold holding the towel up became undone.

"No…" At realization, the near-naked woman gasped in disapproval. Now the only garment preventing his hungry eyes from devouring her was undone and supported only by the wetness of her body and hair.

"I told you," Her innocent reaction made her excited him even more. He pressed her back harder against his chest, not minding the wateriness of her rosy pink that dampened his clothes. His wandering hand snaked under the snowy white fabric and between her thighs while his hot tongue ran its way along her neckline. Sasuke's hand proceeded towards its destination—a forbidden area where no man had ever gone before.

The inexperienced woman tried hard not to lose herself in his strokes and kisses. Her legs were beginning to grow weak and she was finding difficulty in holding in her cries of pleasure. She felt his fingers parting her folds. "Sasuke! Stop—Oh!" _Too late…_ The man violently plunged a finger into her burning core causing her to arch her back. "Try _not_ to tempt me, Sakura-_chan._" He breathed.

Her eyes were half closed, long lashes brushing against her cheekbones. Her sanity was hanging from a thin thread and her heartbeat was going a thousand times faster. A long sensual moan escaped her lips as she felt him add another finger stretching her opening. She placed on hand on the arm he held around her and the other on his shoulder to reinforce her body and turned her neck slightly to face him.

Sasuke felt how the sensation was affecting his manhood. Now it was just downright painful as he continued to pleasure her with his almighty digits. He began to go at a faster, wilder pace as he fingered her. "Ohh! Please! Sasu—"She was cut off by his demanding kiss. He bit her lower lip harshly forcing her to open her mouth and welcoming his tongue. She tasted a mixture of blood and saliva in the lip lock.

"…Sasuke-kun—Ahh!" He added another finger. Her face flushed as she threw her head back.

"You finally remembered my name," he drawled, panting.

The woman continued to moan loudly and gasp his name at his uneven thrusts. His shifted to remove the bothersome towel that was covering her from his view.

"Sasuke…don't!" The fabric fell on the floor in a crumpled pile completely exposing her assets to his lustful eyes. She gulped. She was aware of her orgasm rising. _No, no, no!_ "Ahh…ahh…Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed as the waves of ecstasy hit her. The ferocity of his thrusts forced her to cum and orgasm into his hand. Her bottom lip was now pouty after her several attempts of holding in her cries.

"Hn. Sounds like you're enjoying me." He chuckled darkly before shoving her onto the awaiting bed and following shortly after. He closed in on the poor defenseless girl, his body against her unclothed one. Sasuke took one second to pull his dark shirt over his head and another second to kick his uncomfortably fitting trousers off. His knees were on either side of her, holding her in place. The bulge in his black silk boxers was palpable. Now, his erection was downright painful.

"You're such a beautiful tease." He purred, leaving a trail of kisses along her neck and towards the valley of her breasts. His mouth caught one mound while his fingers caught the other. Sakura gripped the bed sheets as she felt his teeth gnawing at one while his fingers pinched the other.

"Sasuke, please—" she whimpered as he gently bit her sensitive bosom. Her gaze followed his every action even though her lids looked heavy, almost as if she would pass out soon.

"Stop it! This is—Ohh!" Her thoughts were getting more disjointed and unintelligible as he continued.

Ignoring her protests, he moved further down. Sakura now saw his spiky-haired head between her legs. The man never gave her the opportunity to recollect her thoughts. He stared hungrily at her sex before tipping his head forward. His tongue darted out of his perfect lips and began licking her folds while his hands held her knees.

Here she was, laying under this…this _stranger_ who was once the man of her dreams. Who she used to dream of day and night, hoping to see him again. The man who triggered all her wet dreams over the years was now performing actions that only existed in her fantasies. Only now, it held none of the marvelous and dreamy elements her dreams had. What she was experiencing now was nothing more than a horrific nightmare. And here she was, unshielded against his assaults.

_Don't let him hear you. Don't let him hear you. Don't let him he—_

"Ahh!! Oh please…. ohhhh…." The room was filled with her screams of pleasure as her fingernails dug into Sasuke's back. The rosette shivered at the contact. The Uchiha was delighted with himself for earning moan after sexy moan from her. He swept his tongue inside her and felt her hands clinging tighter onto him as if her life depended on it.

"Sakura…" He murmured, lifting his head and meeting her emerald orbs with his own dark ones. Sasuke pulled away from her to finish undressing, his black boxers joined the rest of the scattered garments on the floor.

The now exhausted woman stared at the man hovering above her. Her gaze them moved further down his perfectly toned chest and abdominal muscles and eventually to a certain pulsating area. Blood pounded through every inch of his body. His arousal ached so much. The need to take her was devouring him.

"Sasuke…" Sakura unconsciously brought her legs tighter together, raising her knees slightly, unpremeditatedly making contact with his shaft.

"You—damn it." He cursed vehemently and struggled to continue his sentence. Instead, he slid his hands between her inner thighs and aggressively shoved them wide open uncovering her pink fleshing folds. Her glistening wet cunt looked almost too welcoming. His desire to claim her was beyond measurable. He wanted to fuck her, _now_.

Slowly, he dragged his member along her drenched opening, rubbing it back and forth. "Sasuke-kun…ahh!" Bruised red lips unsealed to release another loud moan.

Sasuke groaned at such raw contact. As he moved to intensify the proximity, he was held back by a hand on his chest and a pair of pained, pleading virescent eyes.

"Sasuke-kun, please. Please stop it." The words came as a whisper from her.

The weight of her words halted his movement. And then steadily, he pulled away from her. It took every last ounce of self-control and every last bit of his discipline to ignore his arousal that was screaming to be released from such torture, and finally pull away from the woman. Sasuke sat at the edge of the bed, turning to peer at Sakura. Her hooded green eyes met his gaze, shivering at the lasciviousness that glimmered in them.

"Sasuke-kun…"

The Uchiha stood up, unmindful of his nude state, his back facing her. "Be thankful, Sakura,"

White sheets fell like curtains over her naked form. Sasuke turned away from her after that, steps away from the bed nearing the doorframe of the bathroom.

"Be thankful that I had enough self-control to stop." He whispered before disappearing behind the door.

_- Click - _

The last thing she heard before falling into deep slumber was the sound of water.

END OF CHAPTER TWO

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Author's Note: Wow! I finally finished chapter 2 of this story. Special thanks to Gin-okami123 and nicthepunk for beta-ing. Your help makes huge difference!

In the last chapter, I did promise a lemon. But one of my reviews reminded me about the flow of the entire story. So I changed my original structure a little bit. I hope it isn't disappointing or anything. I was actually quite surprised to get so much feed back on this story. It's very encouraging and makes me more eager to continue typing.

Thank you all for reading, and please do leave a review!

Love,

xxsugar_highxx


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